


Twenty years and worth the wait.

by WonderstruckSwan



Category: Doctor Who (2005), The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Doing 11 cuz I don't know how to write Capaldi's Doctor yet., Gen, In which Athos is Amy Pond.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-20 01:20:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1491418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderstruckSwan/pseuds/WonderstruckSwan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten year old Athos meets a strange man who promises the trip of a lifetime.....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twenty years and worth the wait.

Athos pulled his knees up and wrapped his hands around them, hoping he’d fall asleep faster. But he couldn’t. Mother and Father had decided to go out for the night, leaving him and Thomas alone. They had had fun, but now Thomas was fast asleep in his bedroom and Athos was _bored_. He didn’t like this lying around, being a good little boy. He wanted to play, or fight, or something.

Making up his mind, he got out of bed and picked up his small sword, nearly half the size of Father’s, and swung it at the enemy soldier running towards him.

‘En garde,’ he whispered, slicing him through the stomach. It was then he heard a noise come from the window. It sounded like Father breathing after he was hurt, but it was deeper. Athos pushed the curtain, looking to find it. In the garden, there was a big blue box, right in the flower bed. Mother would be cross.

Athos played with the curtain, looking at the box. He had always been warned about strangers. Someone must have put the box in his garden. Was it a bomb? He decided he had to be the grown up, so he slid his jacket on and lifted his sword, quietly tip toeing downstairs and out the front door.

It was cold outside; Athos’ breath came up in puffs of smoke. The garden looked magical at night, like something in a story book, like the ones he liked reading when he was alone.

He walked up to the box, seeing there was a door. He remembered what Mother said ‘It is good manners to knock on the door first.’ He held onto his sword with one hand, and knocked the door with the other.

‘Hello?’ he asked. The door opened up, and a man popped his head out. He had funny hair-it stuck up on one side-and he was wearing a bow. He smiled when he saw Athos.

‘Hello there,’ he said, coming out of the box. He was very tall; Athos had to stare up to look at him. ‘Is it night time?’

‘Yes,’ Athos answered. That was a silly question, it was clearly the night. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘Because I don’t know,’ he replied, still smiling.

‘But the stars are out,’ the man knelt down until he was eye level.

‘See, I’ve been to places where stars come out in daytime.’ Athos shook his head. Those places didn’t exist, did they? The man was still looking at him.

‘Is this your house?’ Athos nodded ‘Can I come in? I won’t break anything.’

‘You have to be quiet, though,’ he said ‘my brother’s asleep. The man nodded, so Athos took his hand and lead him inside, into the kitchen.

‘What’s your name?’ he asked.

‘Oliver d’Athos de la Fere,’ he replied.

‘Oh that’s a great name, like a storybook’ the man said ‘I’m just the Doctor. I’m not the Doctor de la anything. So how old are you?’

‘Ten and a half,’ he told him ‘how old are you?’

‘Two thousand and three and a quarter.’ Athos blinked at him.

‘Really?’ he asked ‘you don’t look two thousand and three.’

‘You don’t look ten,’ Athos giggled.

‘Where are your parents, then?’ the Doctor asked.

‘Out,’ he explained ‘there are just me and my brother, Thomas. He’s six.’ Athos got nervous, because Thomas was always the favourite. What if he came down and the Doctor wanted to talk to him, not Athos. But the Doctor seemed to like talking to Athos. ‘What’s the big box for?’

‘Do you want to see?’ the Doctor asked. Athos smiled and nodded yes. The Doctor took his hand and took him back into the garden, and into the box.

The box was amazing, because it was bigger on the inside than on the outside. It had a big staircase, and a big column with had blue light, and a big silver desk.

‘How do you make the inside fit around the outside?’ Athos asked ‘Is it magic?’

‘Oh, no. Magic looks different. If you want, I can take you to places where people do magic?’ the Doctor looked at him ‘have you ever read the legend of King Arthur?’ Athos nodded; it was his favourite ‘Well I can take you to meet the Knights of Camelot and Merlin the wizard. Although, he’s really a servant, but he has magic, but it’s a secret.’

‘Really?’ Athos looked up at him ‘We can meet Merlin?’

‘Really,’ the Doctor looked at his desk ‘oh but not right now. Uh, Oliver, you have to go back, the TARDIS is throwing a tantrum.’ Athos looked up, he was meant to be going to see Merlin, but now the Doctor was running off on him. ‘Hey, hey, five minutes.’

‘Promise,’ Athos asked, trying not to cry. The Doctor held out his little finger and wrapped it around Athos’.

‘Double promise,’ he smiled ‘now, you should pack a bag, bring a good coat.’

Athos ran to his bedroom and lifted out his suitcase. He packed his good coat, his sword, a clean pair of trousers, a book, and decided to pack some bread in case he got hungry. Then he looked out the window and waited for the Doctor to come back.

                                                                                                                *****

This was definitely the last thing Athos had expected. After twenty years, he had decided that the Doctor was a dream, a little childhood imaginary friend. At least he had almost convinced himself.

But when that man had stumbled into the garrison, large as life, it nearly knocked the wind out of him. Luckily, he was the only one in the garrison; the rest had not even gotten up yet. Athos was using this time to practice sword fighting. And then the Doctor had come in.

‘Excuse me,’ he asked, making Athos’ heart sting ‘I’m looking for a little boy.’

‘I’m sorry?’ he asked, trying not to let on.

‘A kid, called Oliver,’ the Doctor kept on ‘I’ve been away, but I came back.’

‘Oliver,’ he said ‘little boy? Ten? Brown hair, blue eyes, about this tall?’

‘Yes, that’s him,’ the Doctor panted ‘Oliver d’Athos, do you know him?’ He could see other Musketeers coming in now. If they called him Athos he’d blow it.

‘He left,’ he lied ‘his family left Paris three months ago, and I suggest you leave too.’ The Doctor frowned, and took in a deep breath.

‘No, no, no,’ he stammered ‘not three months. It was 1610.’ A crowd was watching them, Aramis, d’Artagnan and Porthos among them. Treville was watching too.

‘Please leave now,’ Athos persisted ‘they went to Normandy.’

‘No, this is,’ he breathed in again ‘1630. It’s 1630. Not three months, twenty years.’

‘You know this man?’ Aramis asked. Athos’ heart was pounding.

‘No,’ he lied again ‘never seen him before in my life. Monsieur, I think you should leave.’

‘No, this is important. Three months.’

‘Sir you are making the situation much worse for yourself.’

‘Who is this guy?’ d’Artagnan asked. Athos felt the heat rush to his cheeks.

‘Just some drunk,’ he stammered.

‘Excuse you!’ the Doctor seemed offended ‘I am not drunk. But seriously, why did you say three months?’

‘Because that is what happened. He left, three months ago’ Athos started walking away, not being able to face him.

‘No, this could be important,’ the Doctor relented ‘why did you say three months?’

‘WHY DID YOU SAY FIVE MINUTES?’ Athos clamped his hands to his mouth, watching the Doctor realise the truth. The others looked on in shock, knowing they were missing something. Athos stammered, and ran through the group, just wanting to get away.

‘Wait,’ the Doctor called ‘wait, wait! You’re Oliver. The little boy.’

‘You’re late.’

‘But you’re him.’

‘I’m Oliver and you’re late.’

‘What happened?’

‘Twenty years, and six psychiatrists!’

‘Woah, six?’ the Doctor asked.

‘They said you weren’t real,’ Athos turned and looked him in the eye. His friends caught up with him.

‘Athos, who is this?’ Porthos asked. He looked from them to the Doctor and back. He couldn’t lie himself out of this one.

‘Well,’ the Doctor smiled ‘nice to meet you all. I’m Athos’ imaginary friend.’

‘Um,’ d’Artagnan was the first to speak up ‘sorry, just in my experience imaginary friends are normally for your childhood. And are normally…..imaginary.’

Athos looked at the Doctor, remembering the night they had together. Remembering the children laughing and adults’ tutting when he talked about him His father tearing up his pictures, because he was too old for pretend games. And punched the Doctor on the face.

The Doctor nearly fell to the ground, but managed to regain his balance.

‘What,’ he gasped ‘was that for!’

‘The last twenty years!’ Athos growled. He made to storm off, but the Doctor grabbed his arm.

‘Look,’ he said ‘I am truly sorry for what I did, but it was a mistake. I meant to pick you up. Just five minutes and I’ll explain.’

‘Your version of five minutes,’ Athos glared ‘or mine?’

‘Listen,’ the Doctor leaned closer ‘if anything you saw when you were ten was extraordinary to you in any way you’ll listen.’

‘Four minutes.’

‘My ship, that box,’ the Doctor explained ‘got damaged. I had to go back to where I broke it to get it mended. It was a smelly junkyard on an asteroid in 2763. Not an ideal place for a ten year old. I meant to come straight back for you. But, it appears it’s still broken.’

Athos glared, not knowing what to say. The Doctor had meant to come back for him. He did care.

‘Really?’ he asked, reminding himself of how had made the Doctor promise when he was ten

‘Double really,’ the Doctor smiled ‘now, are you coming?’

‘Where?’ Athos asked, confused.

‘Camelot, of course,’ the Doctor grinned ‘twenty years is a hell of a long time. And I owe you a visit with Merlin.’

‘Why do you even think I’m coming?’ he asked the man, who was already running back to his machine.

‘Because you are,’ he stated. Athos made to move, but looked back at his friends.

‘Room for three more?’ he asked.

‘Oh, Oliver d’Athos de la Fere,’ he shook his head ‘do you really think size is an issue?’ Athos grinned and motioned for his friends to follow.

‘What?’ Aramis scoffed when he saw the box.

‘There is no way we’d fit in there,’ d’Artagnan shook his head.

‘What even is it?’ Porthos asked.

‘Trust me,’ Athos smirked ‘you’ll know when you’re in there.’

The three Musketeers laughed as they saw the inside. D’Artagnan stammered, Aramis looked around in amazement, Porthos stood in open mouthed shock.

‘But this is,’ Porthos gasped.

‘Oh say it,’ the Doctor laughed ‘most people do.’

‘Bigger on the inside,’ Athos nodded.

‘Hang on,’ Aramis said ‘won’t people notice we’ve gone?’

‘Oh please!’ the Doctor scoffed ‘It’s a time machine; we could come back and watch that entire scene play out. So next stop…..’ his green eyes gleamed at Athos, who was smiling like never before.

‘The Knights of the Round Table,’ the Time Lord and the Musketeers chorused. As the room shook, Athos looked over at his imaginary friend, feeling ten years old all over again.

Twenty years was a long time, no doubt about that. But it was certainly worth the wait.


End file.
